Method of making an improved dyed color change contact lens

ABSTRACT

The invention discloses a method of making a soft contact lens that will change the appearance of a dark brown eye to a light blue or green. The lens is made by dying the iris area of the convex (front lens surface) the desired transparent color. A white, light reflecting compound is precipitated in the iris area of the concave lens surface. The lens is placed on the cornea of a dark colored eye and the light colored concave (back lens surface) is viewed through the transparent dyed colored convex surface providing an apparent new color to the eye.

This a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 147,148 filed Jan.22, 1988 by Charles W. Neefe entitled "DYED EYE COLOR CHANGE CONTACTLENS", now abandoned. which this is a continuation in part ofapplication No. 869,583 entitled "AN EYE COLOR CHANGE CONTACT LENS"filed 06/02/86, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,520, which is a continuation inpart of application No. 832,381 entitled "EYE COLOR CHANGE CONTACT LENSBLANK" filed 02/24/86 by Charles W. Neefe now abandoned.

The desire to change and enhance the apparent color of the eye wasrecorded by the Egyptians five thousand years ago. Cosmetic makeup forthe eye area accounts for the larger percentage of the cosmetic salestoday.

It is well known that a transparent colored contact lens will not changethe color of a dark brown eye.

Several contact lenses have been produced in an effort to achievecosmetic eye color change of a dark eye.

One attempt employed a laminated structure with a painted opaque plasticmember. The result was a thick heavy lens which was difficult tofabricate and difficult to wear. A later attempt employed a coloredopaque plastic porous member surrounding a clear cylinder from which thelens was cut by lathing. This resulted in a lens having a pupil and irispattern and the porous member had tendencies to flake and chip at theedge. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,454,332--Siegel).

A third generation of colored lenses provided a thin layer of coloredopaque markings placed in a clear material. The opaque colored markingsradiated from the center of the clear material in a geometric pattern.

PRIOR ART

Fuhrman 4,558,931 discloses a cosmetic lens blank having horizontalcolored layers through which a contact lens is cut from the blank.

Wichterle 3,679,504 discloses a method of painting colored patternsbetween two hydrogel layers.

Spivack 3,536,386 discloses iris patterns sanwiched between two lensmembers.

Borowsky 4,576,453 discloses a contact lens having a gradient coloredcentral area.

Negle 3,034,403 discloses a contact lens having an opaque central area.

Kai C. Su 4,553,975 discloses the use of reactive dyes to colortransparent contact lenses.

Knapp 4,582,402 discloses a method of coloring contact lenses having aniris pattern formed by intermittent opaque markings.

U. S. Pat. Nos. (Neefe) 4,460,523 and 4,472,327 describe methods ofmaking cosmetic contact lenses wherein the lens segments are joinedvertically through the lens.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the lens support in section, convex lens surface up.

FIG. 2 shows the lens support in section, concave surface up.

FIG. 3 shows the finished cosmetic lens from the front.

FIG. 4 shows the finished cosmetic lens in section.

THE DYED EYE COLOR CHANGE CONTACT LENS FUNCTIONS AS FOLLOWS

A soft hydrophilic contact lens made by lathing, molding or spin castingand is dyed the desired color in the iris area. The lens at this pointwill not lighten or provide a color change when placed on a dark eye. Inorder to provide color change qualities, barium sulfate is precipitatedwithin the lens matrix making the colored lens iris area opaque. Whenthe lens is placed on the eye the opaque colored iris area will changethe apparent color of the eye. The central pupil area and the peripherallens area are transparent. The peripheral area is clear and colorless;the pupil area is transparent and may be clear or colored

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention comprises a corneal contact lens comprising a transparentpupil section, an iris section surrounding said pupil section, and acolored, opaque pattern deposited over said entire iris section, therebyproviding a lens capable of coloring the structure of the iris of aperson wearing said lens. The colored pattern should be undiscernable tothe ordinary viewer at a distance of two feet or greater.

THE COSMETIC LENS IS MADE AS FOLLOWS

The lens 3 FIG. 1 is placed on the convex surface 2 FIG. 1 of the lenssupport 1 FIG. 1. The dye mask 9 FIG. 1 is fitted over the convex lenssurface 10 FIG. 1. The pupil mask 8 FIGS. 1 and 2 has a concave radius 4FIGS. 1 and 2 which is shorter than convex lens radius. The peripheralzone mask 6 FIGS. 1 and 2 provides the clear peripheral lens zone. Theassembled dye device is placed in the dye solution and the dye isallowed to combine with the lens material in the convex iris lens area10 FIG. 1 which is not protected by the mask segments 6 and 4 FIG. 1.The convex iris lens area 10 FIG. 1 is exposed to the dye and absorbsthe color on the convex lens surface 10 FIG. 1. At this stage ofcompletion the lens has a transparent colored iris area and will notchange the color of a dark eye.

EXAMPLE OF USABLE DYES

The color additives are formed by reacting one or more reactive dyeswith poly (hydroxyethl methacrylate), so that the sulfate group of thedye is replaced by an ether linkage to the poly (hydroxyethylmethacrylate).

(1) Reactive Black 5 [2,7-naptha-lenedisulfonic acid,4-amino-5-hydroxy-3,6-bis((4-((2-(sulfooxy)ethyl)sulfonyl)phenyl)azo)-tetrasodium salt](CAS Reg. No. 17095-24-8);

(2) Reactive Blue 21 [copper, (29H,31H-phtalocyaninato(2-)-N²⁹,N³⁰,N³¹,N³²)-, sulfo((4-((2-sulfooxy)ethyl)sulfonyl)phenyl) amino)sulfonylderivs](CAS Reg. No. 73049-92-0);

(3) Reactive Orange 78 [2-napththa-lenesulfonic acid,7-(acetylamino)-4-hydroxy-3((4-((2-(sulfooxy)ethyl)sulfonyl)phenyl)azo)-](CAS Reg. No. 68189-39-9);

(4) Reactive Yellow 15 [benzensulfonic acid,4-(4,5-dihydro-4-((2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-((2-(sulfooxy)ethyl)sulfonyl)phenyl)azo)-3-methyl-5-oxo-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-](CAS Reg. No. 60958-41-0);and

(5) Reactive Blue No. 19 [2-anthracene-sulfonic acid,1-amino-9,10-dihydro-9,10-dioxo-4-((3-((2-(sulfooxy)ethyl)sulfonyl)phenyl)amino)-, disodium salt (CAS Reg. No. 2580-78-1).

As part of the manufacturing process, the lenses containing the coloradditives are thoroughly washed to remove unbound reactive dyes.

These are examples only as other dyes can be used with equal results.

Some examples of these dyes, taken from the Color Index, Volume 5, ThirdEdition include;

    ______________________________________                                        Commercial Name    C.l. Generic Name                                          ______________________________________                                        Brilliant Blue B                                                                            HOE      C.l. Reactive Blue 27                                  Brilliant Violet 4R                                                                         HOE      C.l. Reactive Violet 27                                Turquoise FC3A                                                                              HST      C l. Reactive Blue 91                                  Brilliant Green 3GL                                                                         FBy      C.l. Reactive Green 9                                  Brilliant Green 1B                                                                          FBy      C.l. Reactive Green 2                                  Brown 5RL     BAY      C.l. Reactive Brown 4                                  Dark Brown P-BRA                                                                            BAY      C.l. Reactive Brown 24                                 Red Violet E-2BL                                                                            BAY      C.l. Reactive Violet 7                                 Orange G      CFM      C.l. Reactive Orange 32                                Red B         CGY      C l. Reactive Red 65                                   Violet 3B     CGY      C.l. Reactive Violet 34                                Yellow 6G     CGY      C.l. Reactive Yellow 126                               ______________________________________                                    

In general, the formation of a covalent bond between the lens materialand the reactive dyestuff is effected by contacting of the dyestuffformulation with the lens material until reaction is complete.

ADDING OPAQUE WHITE TO THE CONCAVE LENS SURFACE

The colored soft lens is inverted by pressing the convex lens surfacecausing it to become the concave lens surface. The inverted lens 3 FIG.2 is placed on the convex lens support 1 FIG. 2. The tapered lens edge 7FIG. 1 is now inverted 7 FIG. 2, having the taper adjacent to the convexlens support 1 FIG. 2.

The lens and the dye mask is placed in a solution of 2% to 20% bariumchloride and water by weight, a small amount (0.3% to 1.0% by weight)sodium bicarbonate may be added to the barium chloride solution as abuffer. The inverted lens in the dye mask is placed in the bariumchloride solution and the barium chloride is allowed to penetrate intothe iris segment of the inverted lens. The lens and dye mask is removedfrom the barium chloride solution and placed in diluted sulphuric acidsolution of from 0.02% to 10.0% concentrated sulphuric acid by weight.The sulphuric acid is allowed to react with the soluble barium chlorideto form insoluble white barium sulfate. Barium sulfate renders theconcave iris area opaque white. The lens is washed to remove allunreacted chemicals and placed on a dark brown eye. The dark brown eyewill now appear a color determined by the color of the dye used in stepone. FIG. 3 shows the finished lens 11 FIG. 3 from the front having anopaque iris area 10 FIG. 3, a clear peripheral area 6 FIG. 3 andtransparent pupil area 4 FIG. 3. A colored transparent pupil can beprovided by adding the colored dye to the iris area 10 FIG. 3 and theconvex pupil area 4 FIG. 3 and adding the barium sulfate to the irisarea 10 FIG. 3 only. FIG. 4 shows the finished lens in section. Thetransparent colored iris area on the convex lens surface 10 FIG. 4surrounding the lens pupil area 4 FIG. 4 and a clear peripheral area 6FIG. 4. The edge taper 7 FIG. 4 indicates the lens is not inverted. Thewhite barium sulfate is on the concave surface 11 FIG. 4. Light enteringthe lens passes through the colored iris area surface 10 FIG. 4 and isreflected by the white opaque surface 11 FIG. 4 and passes through thetransparent colored iris area 10 FIG. 4 a second time upon leaving thelens. The iris area will have the apparent color of the transparentcolor present on the convex lens surface through which the white opaqueconcave surface is seen.

For economic reasons, it is preferable to treat the polymerized materialwith the dyestuff preparation. However, it would also be possible totreat a monomer with dyes prior to polymerization, and to polymerize thedyestuff-monomer mexture.

An additional advantage of the inventive lenses is the fact that thedyestuff and barium sulfate employed for tinting tend to absorbultraviolet radiation, particularly of the wave-lengths shown to beharmful to the eye.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the exact detailsof construction shown and described herein for obvious modificationswill occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:
 1. A method of making a cosmetic soft contact lens having acolored iris area that changes the apparent color of the eye upon whichit is placed by the steps of, allowing a transparent colored dye tocombine with the lens material in the iris area of the convex lenssurface, thus dying the lens iris area the desired color, allowing asolution of barium chloride to penetrate into the iris area of theconcave lens surface, reacting the barium chloride within the lensmaterial with a sulphuric acid solution to form insoluble white bariumsulfate in the iris area of the concave lens surface. whereby the irisarea will have the apparent color of the transparent color present onthe convex lens surface through which the white opaque concave surfaceis seen.
 2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the lens pupil area is atransparent color.
 3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the pupil area isclear and colorless.
 4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the bariumsulfate is precipitated before the lens is dyed.
 5. A method of making acosmetic soft contact lens that changes the apparent color of the eyeupon which it is placed by the steps of providing a mask for the convexpupil and peripheral lens areas leaving the iris area exposed, applyinga transparent liquid dye to the convex iris lens area, allowing the dyeto combine with the lens material in the iris area of the convex lenssurface, removing the dyed lens from the pupil and peripheral masks,inverting the soft contact lens causing the concave lens surface tobecome the convex surface, replacing the pupil and peripheral masks,allowing a solution of barium chloride to penetrate into the convexsurface of the inverted lens, placing the lens in a solution ofsulphuric acid, allowing the barium chloride to react with sulphuricacid to form white barium sulfate in the lens iris area, inverting thelens a second time to return the convex and concave lens surface totheir original position to form a soft cosmetic contact lens having anopaque colored iris area.
 6. A method as in claim 5 wherein the lenspupil area is a transparent color.
 7. A method as in claim 5 wherein thepupil area is clear and colorless.
 8. A method as in claim 5 wherein thebarium sulfate is precipitated before the lens is dyed.
 9. A methodmaking a cosmetic soft contact lens having a transparent pupil section,an opaque colored iris section and a clear peripheral section by thesteps of, allowing a transparent colored dye to combine with the lensmaterial in the convex lens iris area, inverting the lens allowing thedyed convex surface to become the concave surface and the concavesurface to become the convex surface, allowing a solution of bariumchloride to penetrate into the convex surface of the inverted lens,reacting the barium chloride with sulphuric acid solution to form whiteinsoluable barium sulfate in the lens iris area, inverting the lens asecond time to return the convex and concave lens surface to theiroriginal positions.
 10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the lens pupilarea is a transparent color.
 11. A method as in claim 9 wherein thepupil area is clear and colorless.
 12. A method as in claim 9 whereinthe barium sulfate is precipitated before the lens is dyed.